love poems for her

To Charlotte Cushman

As Love will carve dear names upon a tree,
Symbol of gravure on his heart to be,

So thought I thine with loving text to set
In the growth and substance of my canzonet;

But, writing it, my tears begin to fall —
This wild-rose stem for thy large name's too small!

Nay, still my trembling hands are fain, are fain
Cut the good letters though they lap again;

Perchance such folk as mark the blur and stain
Will say, It was the beating of the rain ;

My Boyhood's Love! Oh, not more sweet
Are the first wood-bird's notes in Spring,
Than the sweet thoughts that in my heart
Make music wild, beyond the art
Of even love-taught lips to sing!

No laughing, romping hoyden she,
With rosy cheeks and eyes of jet,
But still and mild, and in her cheek
(Its only rose) the white rose meek,
In scarcely fairer lilies set.

Her forehead parted locks of gold,

I.

As Love sat idling beneath a tree,
A Knight rode by on his charger free,
Stalwart and fair and tall was he,
With his plume and his mantle, a sight to see!
And proud of his scars, right loftily,
He cried, Young boy will you go with me?
But Love he pouted and shook his head,
And along fared the Warrior, ill-bested:
Love is not won by chivalry.

II.

Then came a Minstrel bright of blee,
Blue were his eyes as the heavens be,

Oh, 'tis a night, — on such a night as this
Methinks the earth itself must feel such bliss,
Such deep and quiet-breathing joy as we:
Loved one, come near, and look! nay, not on me,
Look upward — and yet turn not, love, — one kiss!
For nature for our love more beauteous is:
The heavens are all tremulous like a sea; —
Mark yon slow cloud that moves voluptuously
Across the moon and lags upon its face,
And drinks its light; — even as that vapor base
And born of earth, is made all silver-white,

O Listen, listen, while I plead with you!
The day is softly resting from its care;
The evening wind is breathing out a prayer:
The cloudy forms of spirits crowd the blue.

Thin spirit-forms that let the glory through,
With outstretched hands are swimming from the west;
One wears the crescent moon upon his crest,
And all are dropping blessings down on you.

They drop as gently as the dropping dew:
Dear love, dear love, for all that I would say,
There is no fitter place, no fairer day;

Being the Rare Joust of Love and Hate

A-many sweet eyes wept and wept,
A-many bosoms heaved again,
A-many dainty dead hopes slept
With yonder Heart-knight prone o' the plain.

Yet stars will burn through any mists,
And the ladies' eyes through rains of fate,
Still beamed upon the bloody lists
And lit the joust of Love and Hate.

O strange! or ere a trumpet blew,

A raven flew over the house-top,
In the gloaming that heralds the night:
Far off snarled the threat of the thunder,
And the raven he croaked in his flight.

A raven flew over the house-top,
And his shadow fell dark on my heart:
A voice, in its innermost chamber,
Said, " The angel of love must depart:

Too long you are calm in the sunshine,
And too long are the roses in bloom:
Time now for the rush of the tempest,
For the chill, and the blight, and the gloom." ...

Deserted the house is, and silent;

He said he loved me. Welladay!
I know not were he false or true.
A year ago it was, in May:
" My darling, O forget me not!
Forget not me who so love you. "
A year ago! Has he forgot?

He would come back to me, he said:
Kist me good-bye, a year ago!
Can love so soon grow cold and dead?
He begged of me a violet,
One violet, he loved me so!
" Forget me not! " Can he forget?

Only one paean grand!
One soul-inspiring story!
O Love, at thy command
Are Birth, Death, Life, and Glory:
All destinies are holden,
Dread Sovereign, in thy hand.

What is the Tale of Troy
But Helen? What the sorrow
Men suffer, or the joy,
What yesterday and morrow,
Or new delight or olden,
But Beauty and her Boy?

Time knows no other song,
And passion sings no other,
Men, gods, to thee belong,
Their sovereign and their mother;
Thou dost the weak embolden,

I

Weeping skies that would seem to deplore him
Cast shadows on stars and on suns;
Drooped flags that are shivering o'er him
To a far-rolling thunder of guns!
And great bells that rock the starred steeples
And moan to the heavens above,
But dearer than all things — a people's
Devotion and love!

II

O Northland and Southland far-sighing
Your grief, in this hour unblest,